Noise level: Low, but we were the only customers in the dining room at the time, which made it all the more easy to hear the flickering flames of the saganaki.

In Italian, the word "volta" means "journey" or "turn" and just so happens to be the name of Boulder's newest Mediterranean eatery. Nestled a stone's throw from McGuckin Hardware, this restaurant's ambience evokes the brightness of the Greek Islands in a manner that's modern and elegant, yet still laid-back and comforting.

Volta's Mediterranean pedigree brings with it a focus on Greek influences, which is welcome in a town that's lacking in this cuisine beyond grab-and-go gyros and simple salads. Nowhere is the Hellenic influence more apparent than on Sunday nights, when a special Greek menu features such Mediterranean specialties as chicken souvlaki skewers and lamb pastitsio. The menu — rich with organic selections changes daily, and one might also sample other dinner choices such as roasted free-range chicken and lamb bolognese. Brunch and lunch is also available, with falafel and benedicts, among other dishes, on tap.

When we visited, my companion and I were the only ones in the airy dining room, as freezing temperatures had apparently scared off the weeknight dinner crowd. One happy consequence of being the only customers is that the staff wasn't distracted by other diners. Our server was spot-on in his recommendations, as well as sincerely hospitable yet unobtrusive, which made for an experience that was about as good as it gets.

As a fan of both cheese and fire, I couldn't resist ordering the Volta's $10 saganaki starter. This preparation rigidly sticks to tradition, as it spotlights kasseri, a moderately soft cheese typically made of sheep's milk. Fried and flambeed with spirits, this cheese assumes a crisp crust, tempered by lemon juice that both extinguishes the flames and provides appealing contrast to the kasseri's considerable creaminess.

Gigandes, as the name hints at, features impressively large white beans. Perhaps adhering to the old Greek notion of the paradox, these giant beans are offered as a small plate for $8. In this instance, the gigandes arrived adorned with herbs, feta cheese and a lip-smacking red sauce. Warming and pleasingly substantial, a larger portion would easily make for a satisfying main course.

Our server described the $28 Kakavia entree as a Greek take on such venerable angler's stews as bouillabaisse and cioppino. Freighted with red fish, calamari and shrimp, this dish impressed by virtue of each individual ingredient being cooked to correct doneness. The only dissonant note was an overseasoned clam, although a balanced tomato anise broth and piles of fried risotto helped compensate for this shortcoming.

The $30 Long's Peak lamb main course spotlighted locally raised meat prepared two ways. First up was a crumbled sausage that suffered from uneven seasoning, as the first bite was distractingly salty. Additional bites were much more balanced in flavor, which allowed the rustic taste of the lamb to shine through. The second preparation, an impressively thick chop, was one of the best I've had in years. The flavor was markedly superior to factory-farmed lamb, and it didn't possess the pungent gamey tones that are a deal breaker for some. Instead, a clean richness, boosted by perfect rare cooking, vaulted this dish to near-Olympian heights.

Last up was a brace of $8 desserts, the first being the "Lesson in Lemon," which I at first hoped was going to be some sort of Sherlock Holmes whodunit. Sadly, it was not, although it did feature one of my favorite citrus fruits, Meyer Lemon, a cross between a regular lemon and a mandarin orange. This sweet showcased an unsurprisingly tangy curd and lemony pound cake, which worked well in combination, the citrus condiment lightly saturating the baked goods.

An $8 baklava was mercifully free of a surplus of honey, as is typical of most versions, and the restrained sweetness put the spotlight on this dessert's abundance of almonds, pistachios and walnuts. This confection was akin to an accomplished homemade dessert, but like my companion's lemon dish, it didn't quite reach the high standards and sophistication of the starters and entrees.

Although Volta has been open for a relatively short time, the overall high quality of the meal speaks to the kitchen's expertise. I wavered between a three- and four-star rating for the food here, and Volta could propel itself into four-star territory by addressing the seasoning issues and punching up the desserts. In a few months, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Volta lives up to its name and takes a turn into the top ranks of local eateries by dishing out consistently four-star fare.

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